With an eye for nature’s forms and lessons learned from its materials, Jeanne Gang creates iconic environments that stand in curvy relief to blocky urban cityscapes.

Why you should listen

American architect and MacArthur Fellow Jeanne Gang is the founding principal of Studio Gang, an architecture and urban design practice based in Chicago and New York. Gang is recognized internationally for her socially engaged design process that foregrounds the relationships between individuals, communities, and environments. Drawing insight from ecological systems, her analytical and creative approach has produced some of today's most compelling architecture, including the Aqua Tower and Nature Boardwalk at Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago, and the Arcus Center for Social Justice Leadership at Kalamazoo College in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Her current major projects include an expansion of the American Museum of Natural History in New York City and the next United States Embassy in Brasília, Brazil.

Committed to working on global and local issues, Gang brings design to a wide range of projects beyond architecture's conventional boundaries. She collaborates and innovates with experts across fields on pursuits ranging from the development of stronger materials to fostering stronger communities. Through teaching, speaking, writing, advocacy and advising, she engages with others to make a positive impact at multiple scales.

What others say

“Gang is the rare architect who loves nature and tall buildings, classical techniques and new technology. She sees herself not as an artist, but as a dot connector, a problem solver.” — Wall Street Journal, October 25, 2012

Jeanne Gang’s TED talk

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